Assessing the attractiveness of native wildflowers species to bees in the southeastern United States

Habitat loss has led to declines in numerous insect groups, including native bees, in part by reducing the availability of forage. Native wildflowers offer an excellent source of nectar and pollen because they are locally adapted to a particular region and because they often form mutualistic interactions with native bee species. Recent government incentives recognize the importance of supplementing areas with native wildflowers to support native bee populations; however, little information exists on the attractiveness of recommended plant species to native bees. To address this, we evaluated the attractiveness of 18 native wildflower species from six families (Apiaceae, Apocynaceae, Asteraceae, Fabaceae, Lamiaceae, and Verbenaceae) to native bees by establishing experimental wildflower plots in Auburn, Alabama, that included four 1 m² replicated plots per species. Through timed sweep netting surveys, we documented numerous plant-pollinator interactions, and that abundance, diversity, and richness of visiting native bees was influenced by native wildflower species. The information gained from this experiment can aid restoration ecologists in their decision making process to determine which native wildflower species to include in a seed mixture when seeking to attract certain pollinators.